Henri tobler



H. TOBLE'R. ELEcnoLYnc APPARATUS;

APPLICATION HLED DEC-30| 1921. Reissued Feb. 28, 1922. 15,297.

INVENTOR Hem-v' Tab/er f ATTORNEY;

UNITED STATES "PATET oFFlCE.

HENRI TOBLER, or HAcKENsAcK, NEW JERSEY, AssIGNoR To AMERICAN BROMINE ACOMPANY, or MAYWooD, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY,

ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

specinoauon of Reissues Letters raient. Reissued Feb 23, 1.922.

Original No. 1,380,853, dated June '7, 1921,`Seria1 No. 422,431, led November 8,1920. Application for reissue filed December 30,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, HENRr ToLEn, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Hackensack, in the county of'Bergen, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrolytic Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following :to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The apparatus of the present invention is suitable'for the electrolysis or brine, as in producing hypochlorites, and is particularly suitable foruse on naturalbrine's, such as those of Michigan and the Ohio river'val ley, when a halogen such as bromin is to be recoveredfrom the brine by electrolytic oxi-` dation `followed by known methods or separation, purication and absorption.

The apparatus is so constructed that when bromin alone is the desired halogen, the electrolysis can be conducted in such a manner as to have a recovery of brornin well above 95%'. The apparatus is'capable of eX- act regulation of electrical input to brine flow, so that over-oxidation or the brine'can be accuratelyfgaged to the needs or anyl parl' tioular brine,thus insuring complete Vlibera'- -tion of all orthebromin without the libera'- tion' ofrnore chlorin than is useful in setting ree .the bromin 4from 'its chemical conipounds in the brine.

i E adequatel'y'proteoted against leakage.

' einem@ one embodim of l The apparatus is or simpleand cheap oonstruction; can be built in standard units easily interchangeable;v can be assembled to sluitthe voltageof the source of electricity, and any unit is readily replaceable at will if occasion should require. ..2 l I The! electrical elements areel'ectively Sula-ted, the brine containers and conduits arel notsubject to rapid destruction either from v'electrolysis Gr.otherwise, and all 'laire 1e elgectrodespand other surfaces subjectvto norinal Ielectrolytic corrosion canbe easily 're-AA newed with but sh ort` interruptionsl to 'the A operation of apparatus, `and all or the Working parts can bereadily'and thoroughly cleaned 'of thesedirnent ,which :ordinarily collects man p aratus'used Jfor theelectro-V lytic oxidation ofanaturalbrine. 'a

In the, accompanying drawing, there is the apparatus the electrical energy conveniently available;

but for a 115 to 125 volt direct current supply, it is preferable to use 24 cells thus con;t nected in series. The several electrolytic cells being connected in electrical series are at dii'erent electrical potentials, and the quantity of current sent through vthe series 1s proportioned to the degree of the electrolysis or oxidation desirable With any par# ticular brine. But Jfor the liberation of bromin, `from its chemicalcombinations in natural brines, such as those of Michigan and of the Ohio river valley, itis preferableto use a current densitywhich will slightly over-electrolyze the brine so liar vas concerns its bromin content, or, lin other words, will yieldsoine free chlorin'together with substantially all of the bromin.

lThe single igureof the drawing isanele vation partly in section of two units of a series of electrolytic cells through which-a bromin-bearingl brine may lbe passedfyfor electrolytic oxidation preparatory tov recovery of the bromin from the brine.v l Each unit or cell of theelectrolytic ap paratus illustrated inv the accompanying drawing'as the preferred embodiment df the present invention, comprises a'container 1,

electrolyzed by current of suitable voltage passing 4,from anode to cathode through the brine.- E'ach cast iron container is surmounted by a T-tting 5 oi'4 tile, or like insulating material, with a calked bell-joint 6 between the tile and the metal container to insure' a fluid-tight connection which can be tali-'en apart in case the apparatus is to befrepared.. They tileV litting torthetlrst container of the series is equipped with an,-

inlet conduit 7 through which the raw brine iszsupplied to the apparatus, this inlet being sofarranged `as to maintainv a brine level throughout the' apparatus well above all metal parts, as, for instance, at the levelindicated by a dotted line in the drawing.

At the` bottom of fitting 1 andfcast integrally therewith is an elbow` or extension 9, the flower 'leg ofwhich isprovidech withl a clean-outA opening'` closed by a. plugv 10,. and

the. -upper'legy of which is. connected through a bellejoint 11.- With'a pipe or conduit 12 of insulating material., such as tile pipe, which by .means of a coupling 131 communicates with the. inlet opening of the next tilel fitti-ng 5, thereby forming; a tortuous path for brinetrom the bottom of one container to. the topot the next. This insures -free cir4 culation of the brine throughout the-4 series of electrolytic cells, but limits to a negligible amount the leakage et electrical energy :from one anode to, more remote cathodes oil the` series.

Each carbonaceous anode is provided` with an encircling sp1ing-clip lll-to the bolt ot which is attached a cable lby which the v electrical 'current is supplied to the anode.-

Each cast iron cathode is provided with a binding-post 16 toV which one ot these cables.

15 is-connected, sov that direct current entering the first anode 4 from the dynamo, or

other source of electrical' energy, Vpasses through the brine to the metal container of the cell, and then out through cable 15 to thenext anode, and so on throughout the entire series.

-The chemical effect of electrolysis on. `a natural bromin-co-ntaining brine is, first, to liberate.. the bromin from its. chem-ical` combinations in the brine, and., second, to lliberate the; chlorin from its chemical .combina` tions, the voltage of4 decomposition being somewhat higher for chloride than for bro mide.. The free. bromin remains for the most -part mechanically absorbed in the brine, andthe tree chlorin will chemically react onany 11n-reduced bromide in the brine to liberate an equivalent quantity' oit. free bromin. Consequently, in. the electrolysis of anatural brinein this 'apparatus some of the: resulting free brot-nin Inlay come. from f electrolysisr directly, land some. may come. as

a secondary product, resultingy trono. the

. electrolysis of chlc'irfids..A The ap. aratus illustrated.- in4 the, drawing-is. especial yfcon.-

ducive to this secondary laction, for any bubbles of chlorin liberated on the anode must pass upward througha considerable column of downwardly moving brineV before they can escape at the surface of the brine. There is, therefore, good opportunity for intimate contact between the chlorin and the brine,

indesirable manner when` treed .hromin-is the ultimate product.

Inasmuch, however, as the current density may be such aste liberate some free chlorin and even some free bromin. at; the top of eazch column of brine, I provide each tilei fitting 5 with a removable wooden. cover 1.7 to.prevent the escape of these. gases into. the cell? room. Also, there isV provided. at. the top of each of theconduits; v12,. a vent. pipe 18,.

'and much of the chlorin therefore is used which `Inlay be a rubber hose. leading to .a hole low woodcnlog 19,` whereby the; gases 'may he. conveyed away for use in any .desired` ner. Thev group otelectrolytic cells. is.. supported onV a frameswork comprisingtilepipes 20 standing on end,-w.ith their bells down, surmounted by timbers21onwh=h are placed wooden beams 22 impregnated. with asphalt, or otherwise treated to. render them more resistant toy salt brine.. Each cast iron container 1 is provided on` either sidey with an outwardly extending and integral foot 23 resting on the top of one of beams-22. And, similarly, each. extension or elbowQhasV anA integral. foot, 24.011 either side. of its bell end. to rest-on beam 22. This Inode of mount,. ing keeps all ofthe apparatusin properpo-V sition with the cathodeswell insulated one. from another. I find. it. .advantageous to sometimes inclose the tile pipe 1.2,..and its couplingl, in arl-envelop 25 of concrete cast .about these..members after they haveY been installed in position. This concrete, as shown in thev drawing, Coversy and. reine forces the joints of the tile pipe and rigidly anchors the pipe to the adjacent pipef. When the` joints are thus..reinforced there is little or no danger'oil the escapeof gaseous bromin. intothe cell room, and. all. ofthe bro. min lfreed from the. brine.. is either carried along dissolved in the. brine, or escapes through vent pipes 18 into the main pipe 19,. from which itcan be sucked out for use elsewhere in the system.

After the natural. or other brine 4has thus been circulated through the apparatus and electrolyzed, and consequently oxidized to the desired extent, it may beconveyed away to? suitable apparatus for the separation of the bromin from the brine,` for its. purification from chlorin, and for its ultimate absorption in .well known manner, to. produce marketable bromin solutions, or salts recovered from Such solutions, as, for '11.1

stance, sodium and potassium bromid..

I am aware that .the .form of the .appa

ratns and its method ot use herein set forth may be varied in many particulars, and I contemplate such variations as reasonably come within the spirit of' my inventon, as above described, and as delined by the claims appended hereto.

I claim l. Electrolytic apparatus comprising a series of metal containers adapted to serve, as cathodes at different electrical potentials, means for circulating brine by a tortuous path from one container to another. a carbon anode positioned in each container and about which said brine circulates during electrolysis, each of said containers having an integral extension with a clean-out opening .through which sediment deposited from the brine may be flushed out.

2. Electrolytic apparatus comprising series of vertical tubular iron containers adapted to serve as cathodes at different electrical potentials, means for circulating brine by a tortuous path from one container to another, a part of each tortuous path being of non-conducting material and the remainder being of iron cast integral with its cathode.

3. Electrolytic apparatus comprising a series of vertical cast iron containers adapted to serve as cathodes, means for circulating brine by a tortuous path from the lower art of one container into the upper part of the next container, a part ot' said path consisting of tile pipe and another part consistng of iron pipe cast integral with the adjacent cathode.

4. Electrolytic apparatus comprising a series of vertical containers adapted to serve as cathodes at different electrical potentials, an insulating bushing at the bottom of each container, a carbon anode mounted in each bushing and about which brine may be circulated, a tubular extension integral with said cathode and provided with a clean-out opening, and an insulating pipe connected with said extension and with the upper part of the next container to serve as a tortuous path for the circulation of brine, substantially as described.

5. Electrolytic apparatus comprising a series ot tubular cast iron containers adapted to serve as cathodes, a tile pipe surmount ing each container, a pipe for circulating brine by a tortuous path from the lower part of one container into the tile pipe which surmounts the next container', a carbon electrode in each container to form therewith an electrolytic cell, means electrically connecting` said cells in series to progressively electrolyze the brine as it passes through the series of containers, and means for venting the top of each container.

6. Electrolytic apparatus comprising a pluarlity of vertical containers adapted to serve as cathodes in an electrical series, means for circulating brine by a tortuous path from one container to another, an anode positioned in each container about which said brine circulates during electrolysis, and gas exhausting means above the brine level in each container to carry away gases liberated by electrolysis and not absorbed by the electrolyte.

7. Electrolytic apparatus comprising a pluarlity of cast iron containers adapted to serve as cathodes in an electrical series and each provided with supporting feet, a pair of timbers on which said 'feet rest, an extension integral with each container and provided with a clean-out opening, an anode in each container, and means for circulating brine by a tortuous path from one container into the top of an adjacent container, substantially as described.

8. Electrolytic apparatus comprising a series of metal containers adapted to serve as cathodes at diiferent electrical potentials, means for circulating brine by a tortuous path from one container to another, a carbon anode positioned in each container and about which said brine circulates during electrolysis, a pair of timbers on which said containers are supported, and means con necting said anodes and cathodes in series relation, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

HENRI TOBLER. 

